For nearly 30 years, the old rock house remained vacant except in the memories of the children raised here. This quaint old house saw many changes throughout her hundred years; she watched families grow and move, additions constructed and torn down, couples fall in love. Most importantly, this charming home remains cherished by all who enter.  I have tenderly and lovingly restored this charming little house in order to invite you to share in her serenity.

The outside walls, made from local basalt rock quarried from a field near the old rock house, measure about twenty inches thick. The Union Pacific Railroad Company planned to build a roundhouse in Soda Springs using rocks. Instead the company developed the roundhouse in Montpelier (about twenty miles southeast); therefore the already quarried rock became available to citizens of Soda Springs.  The rocks were divided and used to build the Presbyterian Church, the old city hall, and the little old rock house. 

When my husband and I purchased the house in 2000, some of the windows were broken and covered with boards.  The front door, also missing its glass, had not been able to close for years.  The door, original to the house, remains badly warped. I continuously work to keep it sealed; it now provides some warmth and eagerly awaits your arrival. The inside walls are plaster over the outside rock. Actually, I found snails and small twigs in the plaster during the restoration.  Due to the thickness of the walls, the four windows include window seats. These seats are wonderful for sitting while enjoying a cup of tea or reading in the sun. The ten foot three inch ceiling endured severe damage, an effect of a leaking roof throughout many years.  I patched the ceiling with nearly five hundred magic discs specially made to repair plaster and lathe. I then covered the discs and filled in the remaining cracks with rolls of drywall tape and buckets of drywall compound.   

The house originally included two rooms, a great room and a bedroom. We divided the bedroom in order to build a much needed bathroom.  Water and Sewer lines were installed in 2004 and made functional in 2005.  This is the first time the original house had running water and sewer.  Let alone soft, hot water!

This small house comes with a large history. William Hopkins built the old rock house in 1896; he and his wife lived here until 1919.  Iona Mikesell moved into the home in 1919 and lived here until 1971. She lived in the one bedroom house with her ten children!  It has been said Iona was a midwife in order to help support herself and the family.  I embrace the pleasure of meeting two individuals and knowing of a third who were born in the bedroom.  Iona’s grandchildren also played a great part in the history of this house, many still stop on their way through Soda Springs just to visit the old rock house.  I have especially enjoyed meeting the families of both William Hopkins and Iona Mikesell. 

It took five years to restore and remodel this historic home.  To share the history and restoration progress of this peaceful, charming, quaint home gives me tremendous joy.  I hope this “Old Rock House” brings you the peace I feel here. 

Peace to all who enter....